WEBVTT IN DAMAGES AND CIVIL PENALTIES.NICOLE: WINSTON-SALEM CITYLEADERS SAY THEY'VE TAKEN A BIGSTEP IN THEIR DRUG ADDICTIONFIGHT.THIS WEEK, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED$35,000 TO FUND THE REOPENING OFDRUG COURT.JONEE LEWIS JOINS US FROM THEFORSYTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE WITH ALOOK AT HOW THE NEW DRUG COURTWILL WORK.JONEE: THERE HASN'T BEEN ANADULT DRUG COURT ESTABLISHEDHERE IN FORSYTH COUNTY SINCE2010.BUT CITY LEADERS SAY THEY'VEBEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TOTHE HEROIN EPIDEMIC AND KNEW NOWWAS THE TIME TO BRING IT BACK.FORMER PUBLIC DEFENDER KERRISIGLER TELLS ME SHE KNEW THEREWAS A PROBLEM WHEN SHE STARTEDTO ENCOUNTER HEROIN ADDICTS INCOURT EACH DAY.THAT PROMPTED HER TO FOUND THENONPROFIT PHOENIX RISING, WITHTHE GOAL OF RAISING THE MONEYNEEDED TO BRING DRUG COURT BACKTO WINSTON-SALEMTHANKS TO HER WORK AND A HUGEPUSH BY COUNCILMAN JAMES TAYLOR,THE GROUP IS NOW A LOT CLOSER TOMAKING THAT HAPPEN.SIGLER WANTS THE NEW DRUG COURTTO BE A POST-PLEA ARRANGEMENTTHAT PROVIDES CLASSES,TREATMENT, AND JOB TRAINING HELP WITH THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.>> YOU WILL BE GIVEN A SENTENCE,AND THAT SENTENCE WILL BESUSPENDED OR PAUSED FOR ACERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME FOR YOUTO DO DRUG COURT.AND IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, YOUWILL NEVER HAVE TO SERVE THATSENTENCE.IF YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL, YOU AREGOING TO BE SERVING A SENTENCE.SO IT REALLY ISN'T LIGHTER, IT'SSMARTER, IT IS A SMARTERSENTENCING OPTION.>> WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THERESURGENCE OF DRUG COURT.WINSTON-SALEM HAS THE HIGHESTGROWTH RATE FOR DRUG OVERDOSES,MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THESTATE OF NORTH CAROLINWE SAT DOWN, WE EXPLAINED THISTO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANDIT WAS A NO BRAINER.JONEE: THE GROUP NEEDS ABOUT8000 MORE DOLLARS BEFOREREACHING ITS GOAL.THEY'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT ANDGET THE DRUG COURT OF AN

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.- The Winston-Salem City Council has approved $35,000 to help fund the re-opening of the drug court.

The court was eliminated due to funding in 2010, but members of the public safety committee said the growing heroin epidemic led them to the decision.

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“We’re very excited about the resurgence of drug court. Winston-Salem has the highest growth rate for drug overdoses, more than any other city in the state of North Carolina. We sat down and explained this to the city council and it was a no brainer,” Councilman James Taylor said.

A big reason behind the push to bring back drug court comes from the efforts of Kerri Sigler. She’s a former public defender and founder of the nonprofit “Phoenix Rising.” She established the group to raise the funding for drug court, intervention and other treatment options for those battling addiction. Sigler said it’s a more effective way to deal with this epidemic.

“Drug court is six times more likely to get an addicted person into treatment long enough to get better, it’s 45 percent (more) likely to reduce crime than any other sentencing option. It is a very focused and very supportive, very intensive and holistic approach to treating addiction,” Sigler said.

Her hope is that drug court will help in the road to recovery by providing classes, job training and other resources to those battling addiction. She said one thing it will not be is an easy way out.

“You will be given a sentence and that sentence will be suspended or paused for a certain period of time for you to do drug court. And if you are successful you will never have to serve that sentence. If you are unsuccessful, you are going to be serving a sentence. So it really isn’t lighter, it’s a smarter sentencing option.”

The group will need at least $55,000 a year to keep the drug court up and running. They’re about $8,000 short of their goal but hope to have that raised by October when they plan to enroll the first class.